Within these pages is a delightful assortment of vignettes that the author fashioned, starting in the summer of 1971, about a "saloon" in the Murray Hill district of New York City. They are short stories that were harvested from his personal relationships with the people, and the events, and the places with which he was familiar. Although the names and professions of the characters are generally accurate, the stories are thought to be entirely fictional. Readers will find that each anecdote comes with its own set of emotions: from amusing, to painful, to bizarre, to absorbing, to poignant, and more. The setting is the Guardsman on Lexington Avenue near Thirty-fourth Street, and all of the anecdotes take place in, or involve, this special place. It was home to regulars who shared their friendship and, to some extent, their lives over drinks, and food, and stories-and darts, liar's dice, backgammon, and poker. The episodes predate Cheers, and are different but just as captivating.